On this day in 2015: South Africa put up a steely battle for survival

The historic Freedom series of 2015 involving India and South Africa is one of the many memorable clashes that the two teams have been a part of. The fourth and last Test at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium of Delhi was an exhibition of pure Test match cricket. Winning the toss, India elected to bat first, and with Ajinkya Rahane’s magnificent 127, the hosts posted 334 in the first innings.

In response, the Proteas tumbled for a paltry 121 courtesy of Ravindra Jadeja’s 5-wicket haul. In the second innings, the visitors pushed Indians into some trouble, although another marvellous century from Rahane – who became the 5th Indian batsman to slam twin centuries – and a steady 88-run knock from Virat Kohli led Indians to 267 for 5, before the call of the declaration was made.

Chasing 481 to win on a deteriorated Delhi track, which had enough demons in it and started to break as early as the second day, against the mighty Ashwin and Jadeja was always an uphill task. More than that, the Proteas would certainly have been reserved after they managed merely 121 with the bat when the track was far better. However, what followed was a demonstration of classic Test match batting: an epic blockathon.

Gritty battle for survival

South Africa began their fourth innings with a possible 158 overs remaining in the match. The batters went into a shell but showed unparalleled resilience, for they knew that survival was the only bet to throw their money on. It took Hashim Amla, who walked in after the first wicket, 46 balls to get off the mark. At stumps on day four, South Africa had only lost two wickets while playing 72 overs. They scored 72 runs in 72 overs! But it hardly mattered to them as runs were simply not on their minds.

143.1 – the number of overs faced by South Africa in the 4th innings of the Delhi Test match in Dec 2015 – the most faced by a visiting side in the fourth innings in India.
SAf at tea on the final day – 136/5 in 138 ovs, lost five wickets for 7 runs in 31 balls!#IndvSA #IndvsSA

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) October 6, 2019

At stumps, Amla was batting on 23 off 207 balls, and with him was AB de Villiers, on 11 off 91. Their third-wicket partnership was worth 23 off 29.2 overs. Before that, Amla and Temba Bavuma had put on 44 in 38.4 overs. Both the batsmen went on to block the balls almost the whole of day 5, as, between them, India’s four specialist bowlers bowled 143 overs, of which 87 were maidens.

The incredible blockathon eventually came to an end as Jadeja dismissed Amla (25 from 244) in the 85th over. AB de Villiers (43 from 297 balls) continued until 139th over, when Ashwin got rid of him. Having lost only five wickets in 138 overs until tea on day five, South Africa lost their last five wickets in the space of 27 balls, and the mini-collapse led India to complete a 3-0 series clean sweep.

The scorecard might show South Africa being bowled out for 143 and that India won by 337 runs. But it will take a closer reading to appreciate the extent of South Africa’s fourth-innings defiance against the quality spinners of India on the 5th-day track.